Portable basketball apparatus with ball return

ABSTRACT

A portable amusement device having a small basket mounted on the underside of the lid of a box so that when the lid is secured in a vertical position a ball can be thrown toward the lid with the object being for the ball to go through the basket. An inclined member is releasably connected with the lid and box in the assembled position to hold the lid in position and to provide a ball return.

United States Patent Merle P. Russell Rte. 3, Rensselaer, Ind. 47978 839,176

July 7. 1969 Feb. 9, 1971 lnventor Appl No Filed Patented PORTABLE BASKETBALL APPARATUS WITH BALL RETURN 10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 273/103, 206/453; 229/23 Int. Cl A63b 63/04 Field of Search 273/103,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 921.366 5/1909 Conolly .7 273/105 922,717 5/1909 Parker 273/105 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant ExaminerMarvin S. Siskind Attorney-John R. Nesbitt ABSTRACT: A portable amusement device having a small basket mounted on the underside of the lid of a box so that when the lid is secured in a vertical position a ball can be thrown toward the lid with the object being for the ball to go through the basket. An inclined member is releasably connected with the lid and box in the assembled position to hold the lid in position and to provide a ball return.

PATENTEU FEB 9 WI 7 INVENTOR.

MERLEP. RUSSELL ATTORNEY PORTABLE BASKETBALL APPARATUS WITH BALL RETURN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to an amusement device and, more particularly, to a portable amusement device that can be easily assembled and disassembled.

2. Description of the Prior Art It is oftentimes desirable, particularly in the use by children, to provide a number of amusements that can be quickly as sembled and utilized, often for short periods of time, and then quickly disassembled and perhaps used in another location, or stored until again used at a later date. If such an amusement device is not portable, is difficult to assemble or disassemble, or requires appreciable time for assembly or disassembly, the device may not be utilized at all, or may be utilized so infrequently as to render it virtually useless for its intended purpose.

However, such amusement devices must not be so flimsy so as to defeat the intended use, and must involve some form of entertainment that can be pleasing to the user and in which he can find enjoyment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides a portable amusement device that can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled and is sufficiently rugged to be utilized as intended.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a portable amusement device that can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled.

It is another object of this invention to provide a portable amusement device that is sufficiently rugged to be utilized for its intended purpose.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a portable amusement device which includes a box member having a lid with a basket thereon, which lid can be quickly secured in a vertical position by an inclined return member.

With these and other objects which will become apparent to one skilled in the art as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel method and apparatus substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment herein disclosed are meant to be included as come within the scope of the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings illustrate a complete example of the embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the portable amusement device of this invention shown in assembled position;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the device shown in FIG. I with the return member partially cutaway for illustrative purposes;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 2 taken through the lines 3-3;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the return member shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the portable amusement device of this invention shown in closed position; and

FIG. 6 is an illustration of the blank utilized to make the box and lid of the portable amusement device of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 7 refers generally to the amusement device of this invention. As shown best in FIG. 1, amusement device 7 includes a box member 8 having a lid 9 which is held in a vertical position, when the device is assembled, by return member 10.

Box member 8 has a bottom 12, sides 13 and 14, and ends 15 and I6, in addition to lid 9. As shown in FIG. 6, box member 8 is preferably formed from a single blank of light material, such as, for example, heavy cardboard, with tabs l8, I9, 20 and 21 being utilized to hold the sides and ends in position as is common in the art. As shown best in FIG. 2, end 15 has a pair of shoulders 22 and 23 extending upwardly a short distance.

Lid 9 consists of two portions 24 and 25. Portion 24 is preferably fixed to the sides of box member 8, while portion 25 pivots about pivot line 26 to thus open and close the box Portion 25 of lid 9 has a basket 27 fastened in conventional fashion to the underside of the lid, that is, fastened to the side of the lid within the box when the box is closed, so that the rim 28 is in a horizontal plane when the lid is in a vertical position. Basket 27 is preferably formed of fairly sturdy material, such as plastic, for example.

Lid 9 also has a plurality of openings 30 therein between the basket 27 and pivot line 26. As shown best in FIG. 2, each of the openings (three are shown) have a small lower portion 3] and an enlarged upper portion 32. In addition, lid 9 also has a lip 33 around the edge which slightly overlaps the sides and ends of box member 8 when the device is in the closed position.

Return member I0 is preferably of a flat sheet of light material, such as heavy cardboard, for example, and has a pair of notches 36 and 37 in one end 38 thereof, which notches are of a size to receive shoulders 22 and 23 of end box 15 of box member 8 when the amusement device is in the assembled position. In addition, and as shown best in FIG. 4, end 40 of sheet 10 has a plurality of protruding members, or projections, 41 extending therefrom. Projections 4] each have a smaller portion 42 terminating in a larger portion 43. Portion 43 is of a size to pass through a large portion 32 of opening 30 in lid 9 but not through smaller portion 3! of opening 30 in lid 9. Thus projections 41 cooperate with the openings in lid 9 to secure the lid in vertical, or assembled, position (along with the cooperable securing members formed by shoulders 22 and 23 of box member 8 and notches 36 and 37 of return member 10). As shown best in FIG 3, return member I0 when in the assembled positionis inclined to provide a downward slope away from lid 9.

While not shown, box member 8 could be provided with a handle and/or a lid-securing clasp, if desired.

It has been found desirable that the box member 8 be deep enough to permit the lid to close without removing basket 27, and the diameter of basket 27 dictates, of course, the size of ball that can be utilized effectively with the amusement device. While not mandatory, and for purposes of illustration only, it has been found that: box member 8 can be 21% X 21%" X 5% with shoulders 22 and 23 being 2% X W; portion 25 of lid 9 can be l5%" X 21%" with a lip of 34"; openings 30 in lid 9 can be X 1%" (enlarged portion) and X A (small portion); bracket 27 and rim 28 can be 3%" in diameter and be mounted 8%! above the pivot line 26; and return member 10 can be 20" X l9" with projections 41 being 9/16" X taper of A to l" (in large ponion) and 3/l6 X (small portion) and with notches 36 and 37 being 3" from end 38 and 2% deep.

In operation, it is only necessary to open box member 8 (which box is shown in closed position in FIG. 5) by lifting lid 9 and removing return member 10. The projections 41 in retum member 10 are then placed through the enlarged portions of openings 30 in lid 9 and secured in position by lowering the member 10 to engage the small portions of the projections and openings. The shoulders 22 and 23 are then pressed into notches 36 and 37 of return member 10 and the device is assembled with return member 10 being below basket 27 and sloping downwardly from lid 9 to the termination of return member 10 beyond the end of box member 8. A user then throws a ball, or the like, toward the device and attempts to make the ball go through the basket 27. Provided the basket is made, or the lid at least hit by the ball, the ball should normally drop to the return member and since it is sloping downwardly, the ball should normally roll back toward the thrower. When the device is no longer to be utilized, disassembly merely requires that the return member be disengaged from shoulders 22 and 23 and lifted so that the enlarged portions 43 of the projections 41 can be removed from the opening in lid 9 through the enlarged portions 32 in the lid, after which the return member 10 is placed in box member 8 and the lid closed.

As can be seen from the foregoing, this amusement device is portable. is quickly and easily assembled and disassembled, and is well suited for its purpose.

lclaim:

l. A portable amusement device, comprising: a box member having a lid pivotable to a substantially vertical position, said lid having first securing means and said box member having second securing means; a basket connected to the underside of said lid so that the rim of said basket is in a substantially horizontal plane when said lid is in said substantially vertical position; and a return member having third and fourth securing means eooperable with said first securing means on said lid and said second securing means on said box member to releasably secure the lid in said substantially vertical position and said return member on an incline whereby a ball thrown towards said basket will normally be automatically returned to the thrower by contact with said return member.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said return member is of a size to fit into said box member when disassembled, and wherein said basket is sufficiently small to allow said lid to be closed with said return member inside of said box member.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said first securing means in said lid are a plurality of openings'in said lid with each of said openings being enlarged in one portion, and wherein said third securing means on said return member are projections equal in number to said plurality of openings in said lid with said projections terminating in an enlarged portion of a size to pass only through the enlarged portion of said openings in said lid so that when said return member is in an assembled position each of said projections is received in a different one of said openings in said lid.

4. The device of claim I wherein said second securing means in said box member are upstanding shoulders near the opposite sides of said box member and said fourth securing means in said return member are walls defining notches at the sides of said return member. said notches being positioned to receive said shoulders in said box member when said return member is in assembled position.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said lid has first and second portions connected by pivot means with said first por tion connected with said box member and said second portion being pivotable to said substantially vertical position.

6. The deviceof claim 5 wherein said return member is slightly smaller than said lid and wherein when assembled extends beyond said box member a predetermined distance less than the width of said first portion of said lid.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said basket is mounted on said lid so as to be above said return member so that a ball passing there through will contact said return member and normally be returned to the thrower.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said box member, lid. basket, and return member are of light material for ease of portability.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said lid has a lip extending around at least a portion of the periphery, said lip extending inwardly so as to be contiguous to the sides of said box member when in the closed position.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said box member and said lid are formed from a single blank having a central body section from which the bottom, lid and ends of said box member are formed, and side projections from the central body section from which the sides of said box member are formed and from which the lip of said lid is formed. 

1. A portable amusement device, comprising: a box member having a lid pivotable to a substantially vertical position, said lid having first securing means and said box member having second securing means; a basket connected to the underside of said lid so that the rim of said basket is in a substantially horizontal plane when said lid is in said substantially vertical position; and a return member having third and fourth securing means cooperable with said first securing means on said lid and said second securing means on said box member to releasably secure the lid in said substantially vertical position and said return member on an incline whereby a ball thrown towards said basket will normally be automatically returned to the thrower by contact with said return member.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said return member is of a size to fit into said box member when disassembled, and wherein said basket is sufficiently small to allow said lid to be closed with said return member inside of said box member.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein said first securing means in said lid are a plurality of openings in said lid with each of said openings being enlarged in one portion, and wherein said third securing means on said return member are projections equal in number to said plurality of openings in said lid with said projections terminating in an enlarged portion of a size to pass only through the enlarged portion of said openings in said lid so that when said return member is in an assembled position each of said projections is received in a different one of said openings in said lid.
 4. The device of claim 1 wherein said second securing means in said box member are upstanding shoulders near the opposite sides of said box member and said fourth securing means in said return member are walls defining notches at the sides of said return member, said notches being positioned to receive said shoulders in said box member when said return member is in assembled position.
 5. The device of claim 1 wherein said lid has first and second portions connected by pivot means with said first portion connected with said box member and said second portion being pivotable to said substantially vertical position.
 6. The device of claim 5 wherein said return member is slightly smaller than said lid and wherein when assembled extends beyond said box member a predetermined distance less than the width of said first portion of said lid.
 7. The device of claim 1 wherein said basket is mounted on said lid so as to be above said return member so that a ball passing there through will coNtact said return member and normally be returned to the thrower.
 8. The device of claim 1 wherein said box member, lid, basket, and return member are of light material for ease of portability.
 9. The device of claim 1 wherein said lid has a lip extending around at least a portion of the periphery, said lip extending inwardly so as to be contiguous to the sides of said box member when in the closed position.
 10. The device of claim 1 wherein said box member and said lid are formed from a single blank having a central body section from which the bottom, lid and ends of said box member are formed, and side projections from the central body section from which the sides of said box member are formed and from which the lip of said lid is formed. 